Conventional projectors use a high-pressure arc lamp to create a light source having a small “fireball” located within a gap between a set of anode and cathode electrodes. The electrodes are generally enclosed within a fill gas, such as mercury or xenon (or any noble gas). One conventional method for starting the high-pressure arc lamp to create the fireball is to provide a high voltage potential between the anode and cathode. When the potential applied between the anode and cathode is sufficient to initiate gas breakdown, gas ions and electrons are liberated from the fill gas. The flow of electrons and ions between the anode and cathode initiates an arc discharge. This initial arc discharge requires a very high voltage, usually in the tens of thousands of volts. When the electrons and gas ions are liberated, the ions under go a rapid acceleration towards the cathode. When the ions collide with the cathode, sputtering damage occurs which erodes the cathode, increasing the gap between the anode and cathode. This increased gap lessens the usable life of the high-pressure arc lamp. The need to create the initial high voltage for the initial arc discharge also may reduce the life of the ballast or lamp and increases the complexity of the projector system design. Accordingly, an improved lamp design that reduces the requirement for an initial very high voltage is desired in that it would have increased lifetimes and lower system complexity.